SOILS OF AFRICA ~ SOIL CARBON AND HEALTH WITH PROF. RATTAN LAL

At COP 22 Agriculture Day – Science to Action presentation, Prof. Rattan Lal of the Carbon Management and Sequestration Centre at Ohio State University, speaks on the Sustainable Management of Soil Carbon and Soil Health in Africa and the establishment of soil thresholds in the root zone of Africa.

In addressing soil carbon and soil health, of which Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) is the most important, through which all aspects and properties of soil are affected and interconnected, i.e. Physical (Water and Structure), Chemical (Soil Fertility and CEC), Biological (Biodiversity and Activity), Ecological (Elemental cycling and Productivity), there is a critical level of soil organic carbon which is not known for all the major soils in the tropics, because the soil processes and properties have threshold values, beyond the threshold level there is a drastic regime change, but what the threshold of soil in the root zone of Africa is something we do not know.

We have measurements of soil erosion as a carbon source from most countries around the world, however, with soil erosion being a major problem in Africa, there is no known measurement for these type of emissions in Africa, which is urgently needed, because that is the only way the restoration of the soil can be implemented and actioned.

The basic principles of Sustainable Soil Management are as follows:
– Causes of soil degradation
– Soil stewardship and Human suffering
– Nutrient, Carbon and Water banks
– Marginality Principle
– Organic vs Inorganic nutrients
– Soil Carbon and GHG effects
– Soil vs Germplasm
– Soil as Sink for Atmospheric CO2
– Engine of Economic development
– Traditional knowledge and Modern Innovations

‘Improved Agriculture Matters’ – the answer lies in harnessing the power of agriculture, soil and natural resources through targeted and efficient use of existing resources!

“The AAA Initiative ~ Adaptation of African Agriculture is the major basis for advancing Global Peace”

Links :
aaainitiative.org/initiative (Initiative for the Adaptation of African Agriculture to Climate Change)
https://www.wits.ac.za/apes/research/conservation-of-plant-germplasm/   (University of Witwatersrand, SA – Conservation of Plant Germplasm)
ciat.cgiar.org/soils-2-2/soil-organic-carbon-and-the-4%E2%80%B0-initiative-soils-for-food-security-and-climate     (Soil Organic Carbon and 4% Initiative)

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